Buckle.



JOSEPH s. SOUREK, or BATH rownsnrrgsuivnvrrr COUNTY; OHIO.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 25, 1910.

Application filed January 8, 1909. Serial Nb. 471,260.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. SOUREK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bath township, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles for use in connection with straps. belts, harness, etc., and the objects thereof are to provide a buckle composed of two separable members viz., a frame and a bail, the latter arranged to be freely mounted on the former and adapted to cooperate therewith for clamping a strap used in connection with said buckle.

A further object is to so construct the two parts of the buckle that the strap-engaging portions thereof do not penetrate the material of the strap, but on the contrary, are arranged to clamp or engage the latter in such a manner as to eliminate the necessity of providing apertures in the strap.

A still further object is to make the two members of which the buckle is composed simple in design so that it may be easily constructed, readily set up and cheaply manufactured and which when united into a buckle will he possessed of a high degree of efliciency for the general purposes for which an article of this type is employed.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the invention to be hereinafter referred to and specifically clescribed in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of example in connection with a strap, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the different figures: Figure 1 is a plan of my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is an inverted or reverse plan of the device shown in Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1, in operative relation with respect to a strap.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 1 denotes the frame of the buckle which is provided with a forweirdly-extending portion 2 having a front strap to the buckle in a loop-shaped portion 4 provided with a slot 5. This frame is also provided with a medial slot 6, between which and the slot 5 extends an integral bar 7 ordinarily provided with an aperture 8 to receive a hold,- fast device for uniting the fixed end of the Between the rearwardly-extending loop-shaped portion 4 and the extensions 3 is a waist portion having the outer edges thereof preferably parallel with each other. The portions of the frame 1 extending rearwardly from the front portion 2 on both sides of theslot 6 are downwardly bent torconstitute seats 9 and from thence the rearwardly-extending portion of the frame is formed upon curvilinear lines with the portion containing the bar 7 upwardly bent and the portion containing the slot 5 downwardly curved, with the extreme rear end of said frame extending upwardly, so that the entire frame of the buckle is formed with sinuous or serpentine con figuration.

The cooperating member of the buckle is a bail, commonly, although not necessarily formed of a wire bent preferably into the form of a trapezoid with the longer end 10 thereof normally positioned in the seats-9 of the frame and disposed approximately centrally of the slot 6. The lateral portions 11 of the bail are preferably inwardly converging and are connected at their outer ends.

by a portion 12 formed parallel with the longer end 10. The opening in the bail is wide enough to permit the latter to be slipped over the rearwardly-extending loopshaped portion 4 of the buckle frame and to be held from further forward movement by the laterally-projecting extensions 3 of the frame, which constitute abutments therefor. These abutments also serve to so support the bail that the front portion 12 thereof will be in cooperating relation with respect to the front working edge of the portion 2 for engaging and holding a strap passed upwardly through the opening in said bail.

lateral portions 11 of the bail are preferably upwardly bent substantially at the point where they are united with the front por- In practice, experience has demonstrated that the tion 12, in order to cause them toa-pproaeh nearer to the front edge of the portion 2 and thereby form a more perfect clamping engagement with a strap used in connection therewith.

In setting up a buckle such as has just been described, the fixed end 13 of a strap 14 is passed upwardly through the slot 6 from below and around the portion 10 of the bail and from thence downwardly and rearwardly into lapping engagement with the balance of the strap. A hold-fast device such as a rivet 15 is then passed through the opening 8 and through both thicknesses of the strap which secures the latter to the buckle. The fixed end 13 of the strap 14 when wrapped about the portion 10 of the bail, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, serves to hold the latter in proper position with respect to the frame and prevents its unintentional disengagement therefrom. The free or billet end 16 of the strap is then passed upwardly through the opening in the bail and is afterward bent downwardly and passed through the slot 5 in the rear looped portion 4 of the frame which securely retains it in position. In Fig. 3 the free or billet end of the strap is not shown passed through the slot 5, for the reason that the end when in this position would obscure too much of the buckle. WVhen the buckle and strap havebeen set up in the manner just described, any pull tending to withdraw the billet end of the strap from engagement with the buckle will cause the front working edge of the portion 2 of the frame to tightly compress or clamp the strap against the front portion 12 of the bail, thereby securely holding the strap against unintentional withdrawal.

It will be noted that the extensions 3 preferably extend laterally beyond the sides 11 of the bail, thereby affording to the operator aconvenient grasp for the finger in separating the buckle members in disengaging a strap therefrom.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A two-part buckle comprising a frame having the front end thereof provided with lateral extensions, the balance of said frame rearwardly of said extensions narrower and provided with a transverse slot, the portions of said frame on both sides of said slot constituting seats and a bail comprising an open frame with one end mounted on said seats and extending across said slot held from forward movement by said extensions provided with forwardly-projecting lateral portions extending under said extensions, said lateral portions united by an end member cooperating with the front end of said frame for engaging a strap.

2. A two-part buckle comprising a frame having the front end thereof provided with lateral extensions, the balance of said frame rearwardly of said extensions narrower and provided with a transverse slot, the portions of said frame on both sides of said slot constituting seats and a bail comprising an open frame with one end mounted 011 said seats and extending across said slot held from forward movement by said extensions provided with forwardly-projecting inwardlyinclined lateral portions extending under said extensions and positioned outside of said frame, said lateral portions united by an end member cooperating with the front end of said frame for engaging a. strap.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH S. SOUREK. IVitnesses GLENARA Fox, C. E. HUMPHREY. 

